


UTOPIA [Joshler]

by NewAmeriwriter



Category: Twenty One Pilots, joshler - Fandom
Genre: Aliens, Fluff, Futuristic, M/M, Sci-Fi, businesswoman!Jenna, butler!Josh, inspired by a dream, loner!Tyler, weird creature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2018-11-04 22:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11000310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewAmeriwriter/pseuds/NewAmeriwriter
Summary: "Welcome To Utopia!"When loner Tyler Joseph is forced out of his seemingly perfect home by unusual circumstances, he is unprepared for the reality of the world around him. Just why is Jenna being so kind to him, what's up with her weird blue-haired butler Josh, and just what on earth is 'The Exit'?Lil' bit of Sci-Fi & Fantasy :]





	1. Fire

Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound was deafening but familiar. Groggily, Tyler Joseph opened his eyes, to check that once again like routine, the time was 8:00 am. Every morning of every day, his alarm went off at precisely 8:00 am. He never set it like that, but also never felt the need to question why it always went off at that exact time. He smacked a hand down on the clock to silence it, before lying in his bed, blankly staring at the white ceiling illuminated by the bright sunlight from outside. At this moment, there was nothing he wanted to do more than to just stay in bed. He shifted around in the sheets, feeling how comfortable and crisp they felt. His bed felt perfect, causing his eyes to slowly close again. Before they could, however, he could feel his legs moving to get him out of the bed. He didn't want to move, but it was as if his legs had a mind of their own. Before he knew it, he was standing. He shrugged it off and decided to get himself washed. He slowly made it into the bathroom, brushing his teeth before undressing to enter the shower. He ran his head under the perfectly temperate stream. He never needed to adjust the temperature of the water, he only ever needed to switch it on and it was always perfect. Once he was washed, he made his way back into his bedroom and opened his wardrobe. He pulled out the same outfit he had worn every day for as long as he could remember – a black sweatshirt with black cargo trousers. Even though it was the same outfit, his clothes always smelt and felt as fresh as new. There really wasn't too much for him to complain about.

Tyler ate his perfect, already prepared breakfast and sat on his sofa in front of the TV.  
“Good morning, Mr Joseph, how are you feeling today?” A synthesised voice from the TV asked, displaying on the screen an information panel complete with the weather, news stories and a bunch of charts. The voice from the TV was the only one Tyler had ever really heard for as long as he could remember. He had grown to trust it, despite not knowing why his TV could talk to him.  
“Same as always, I suppose,” Tyler replied.  
“It's a lovely day outside today, would you care to take a walk in the sunshine?” The TV asked.  
“No thank you, I’m perfectly fine where I am.”  
“Mr Joseph, you are aware you haven't left your confides in all the time that you’ve been here, right?” The TV asked with a sterner voice. Tyler found it a little weird for its use of the word ‘confides’- surely this was just his apartment?  
“I am. And I am also perfectly happy where I am, thank you.” Tyler replied in the same manner.  
“So be it, Mr Joseph.” The TV finalised, before changing from a generic information screen to playing a random music channel. This channel was one of Tyler’s favourites, however. He sat comfortably on his sofa just watching the music videos. This was all Tyler wanted to do. Day in, day out. He never liked to leave his apartment and had no reason to since everything he could want he had. Groceries? Always well stocked in his fridge. Exercise? His weight always stayed the same, no matter how much he ate. Work? He was assigned to work from home. His job was simple but good enough for him. All he had to do was sit in front of his computer watching videos on the internet. When he watched one, they transferred money into his account. Who ‘they’ was, Tyler had no idea, but he thought it best not to ask questions. After all, he had no need to complain about where he was or how he lived, so why wonder any further than he needed to?

Tyler sat in silence watching videos. He had just finished a video in which a cat was chasing a laser pointer. He didn't choose to watch the video, they assigned him videos to stream. Tyler didn't know why they chose certain videos for him, but he took them as they came. Some of them were boring, some of them were scary or inappropriate, but some of them could be funny or informative. If he enjoyed a video, he had the option to give it a ‘thumbs up’. It never seemed to do anything or give him any more money, but he figured it couldn't hurt to give the occasional video a thumbs up. Tyler's life was simple, but it worked for him. He had managed to watch five videos, two of which he gave a thumbs up to. He was pulled out of his screen-vision by an odd smell of burning. He looked around his apartment. A small fire had started in the corner of it, causing Tyler to leap out of his seat in panic. He ran over to the kitchen sink to pour some water to douse the flames, but the water wasn't running. He took the advice he had gained from a video he had seen about fire safety and grabbed a towel to smother the flame in. He covered the fire with the cloth, but it was ignited almost instantaneously. Out of ideas on how to combat the fire, Tyler ran out of his apartment door since the fire was on the opposite side of the place. He jolted into the corridor, trying his best to remember the way out since he hadn't walked through the front door in ages. He ran down the corridor, setting off the fire alarms as he did. He called out to the other apartments about the fire as he ran. Even though he had never left his apartment or worked out in ages, he was surprisingly fit for running. He bolted out of the complex’s main door onto the road of the large city and looked up to the fire when he was a safe distance. The fire had grown massive, with huge blazes of red and orange engulfing where his apartment used to be. He started questioning what could have caused the fire. Until he looked around him. Then his train of thought changed – where is everyone? No one from the apartment complex had followed Tyler out, nor was there any random pedestrians observing what was happening. There was no fire service, no police, no anything. There was no one. This forced Tyler to ask a final question – why was he alone in such a big city?


	2. The Exit

The fire had burnt down a majority of Tyler’s apartment block. The previously white, hard-edged minimalist building had been reduced to a mass of glowing embers and frame structures. Tyler watched the fire, desperately trying to think of what to do next. He knew no one else in this city, and there was no one for as far as he could see to ask for help. He was also unsure of where to go in the city to look for help since he hadn't left his apartment for as long as he could remember. Even if he did know anyone, he couldn’t exactly call them since his phone and wallet were caught in the blaze. He looked around him to spot a sign pointing in a direction down one of the roads labelled ‘Main Square’. He figured this would be his best bet of finding help. After all, Main Square had to be the very centre of the city, right? Surely there had to be other people there. He took one last look at his apartment, then ventured down the road which would hopefully take him to finding help.

The walk was long and new, with every building in the city looking the exact same – white, hard-edged and minimalist. The tall builds created a labyrinth for Tyler, meaning all he could do was trust the signs around him. He had been walking for a long time, and still had not seen another person. No cars, no pedestrians, no emergency services racing towards the recent disaster. Tyler also found it odd how pristine the buildings were. Despite there being no one else around, every building was clean and a pure white, with no damage or signs of potential collapse showing. If everyone else had left the city, it couldn't have been too long ago. But why would they have left? There were no signs of fatal disaster or unsafe living conditions, and if there had of been surely the TV would have told Tyler to evacuate as well? His head began to hurt, all of this thinking and navigating new territories had become too much for him. He needed to take a break for a while.

A little while later, he came across a café. He cautiously entered through the door to find as expected it was completely deserted. At this point, Tyler took that as a good thing as at least he could recover at his own pace without being thrown out. The interior was very simple, with basic brown chairs and tables lining the floor in a perfect grid, with some generic artwork hanging on the walls. The counter at the back housed a glass case with some pastries and snacks, as well as some various fridges and equipment. Tyler took this opportunity to fix himself a few snacks and a caffeinated drink to boost up his energy. He sat at one of the tables, staring out of the large glass windows at the front of the café. It was quiet. It started to become eerily silent to him, the only noises he could hear were his own breathing and the low hum of the appliances at the back of the room. He was used to being by himself, but never in silence. He always had some music or a video on to fill the void of quiet, but at this moment he had nothing. He forced the rest of his snack and drink down his throat in order to continue his walk to the Main Square.

Tyler walked more, getting used to how to follow the signs and understand the layout of the city a bit more. It wasn't long until the buildings started to become grander and larger, and soon Tyler found himself walking into a large spacious part of the city. Tall glass structures towered over a vast concrete area with various benches, fountains and shrubbery decorating the area. It was all encased under a large glass roof. Behind the glass of the towers stood rows upon rows of walkways and stairs leading to a multitude of doors. A high-tech railway ran through the middle of the concrete landscape, with a station situated in the middle. A number of large billboards stood around the vast area, each displaying images of happy couples living together and enjoying the city. The text on the images was accompanied by a voice emitted from a speaker system, saying on a gentle loop, “Welcome to Utopia!”  
Tyler had completely forgotten this city was called Utopia. In fact, he realised that he surely would have been able to remember more about this city, but he just couldn't. He looked around the overwhelming area. As per usual, there was no one else to be seen. His eyes were caught by a piece of graffiti scribbled to the side of one of the benches,  
“BEWARE OF THE EXIT”. Tyler furrowed his brow in confusion to what this could have meant.

His thoughts got interrupted by the sounds of laughing in the distance. He looked up and around to spot what looked like a couple sat on one of the benches from the other side of the concrete park.  
He couldn't believe it, a sign of actual life!  
“Hey!” He called over to them, excited that he might finally be getting some help. He started to make his way over to the bench the couple were sat on. They looked as though they was madly in love, hugging and giggling with each other.  
Suddenly, a tremor could be felt underneath Tyler’s feet. He stopped in his tracks unsure of what was going on. He looked up to the couple for some kind of reassurance as to what was happening but soon found himself falling backwards onto the ground. The floor beneath the couple shattered as a loud screech bellowed from below. A huge, imposing creature dived out of a hole. The creature was long and dull coloured, made up of slimy round segments. The end of it was composed of a circular mouth with sharp, triangular teeth lining it. It appeared to jump out of the ground, swallowing the couple in the distance whole. It stayed for but a short while, before falling back into the ground, as the shattered concrete and dirt returned back over where it had come from. Tyler sat on the floor in shock, panting for breath out of fear for the creature he had just seen. He wasn't even sure if it was real – maybe he had been alone for so long his mind was playing tricks on him? He clambered off the floor, fearing the creature may be underneath him ready to attack him as well. He didn't know what to do. He started to run away but ended up running into something. He opened his eyes to notice it was a woman.  
“Well, that’s no way to treat a lady, is it?” She joked.


	3. Butler

The woman was tall and blonde, wearing a simple black dress. Tyler wasn't sure how to respond, he wasn't exactly well practised when it came to human interaction.  
“Who- who are you?” He managed to get out.  
“The name’s Jenna,” she replied. “And you would be?”  
“Tyler,” he said with a look of confusion on his face. “What the fuck was that thing?”  
“Oh, that? Nothing to worry about,” Jenna reassured.  
“Nothing to worry about?! That thing was huge! And it just ate those people!” Tyler yelled in panic.  
“Will you calm down?” Jenna snapped. “Anyway, what're you doing in Main Square? It’s not exactly like this place is crawling with people nowadays”  
“My home burned down,” Tyler replied.  
“Oh you poor thing,” Jenna condoled. “Well, at least you made it out okay. Want to come back to my place? I was just headed there now, you’re more than welcome to stay there, there's plenty of room.”  
Tyler’s first reaction was to refuse, he didn't even know this woman, she could be all sorts of evil. But at the same time, she was the only other person he had interacted with in ages, and it wasn't like he had anywhere else to go.  
“Okay then,” he replied cautiously.  
“Lovely, come on then, it's only a short train ride to the outskirts,” Jenna said, walking towards the nearby train station.

Jenna offered to pay for their tickets since Tyler didn't have a card or any money with him. Once she was done entering information on the large screen and their tickets were dispensed, they were on the train. The sleek, streamlined transport raced through the city, with the view from the windows being nothing but a mass blur of white structures.  
“So, tell me, Tyler, do you have anyone in your life?” Jenna asked whilst sat across from him in a tabled part of the train carriage.  
“What do you mean?” He asked back.  
“What do I mean?” Jenna snorted. “I mean do you have another person in your life? Friends, family, girlfriend?”  
“Oh,” Tyler responded dryly. “No, I have no one.”  
“How comes?” Jenna asked, her face puzzled.  
“I dunno, I just don't,” Tyler shrugged. Jenna hummed in response.  
“I’m sorry but I need to ask; what was that thing earlier?” Tyler asked outright.  
“You mean you really don't know what it is?” Jenna replied, a concerned look on her face.  
“No!” he snapped.  
“I’m sorry but- you claim to have no family, no friends or girlfriend, and you’ve never heard of that creature before?” she listed to him. “Just who exactly are you?”  
Tyler thought about that question.  
“I don't know,” he replied. It was the truth, apart from his own name and how he used to live, he knew nothing about the rest of his life or where he was. All he could remember was what had happened from the moment he set foot in his apartment.  
“You’re a funny one, Tyler,” said Jenna.

The train eventually pulled up at the desired station. They had reached a part of the city home to some extravagant buildings. All of course white, but featured some amazing architectural details, more so than the buildings where Tyler lived. They were housed upon large steel pillars, with metal walkways leading to them from the station above a large void of nothingness. Jenna lead Tyler along the walkways to what must have been her home.  
She placed a hand on an electronic surface next to the door and was quickly granted entry.  
“Well, this is my home,” Jenna announced as she walked them both through. The hallway was spacious and airy, with a geometric chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.  
“It’s beautiful,” Tyler responded.  
“Thank you,” Jenna replied. “Are you hungry? I’ll get Josh to fix you something to eat.”  
“Who’s Josh?” Tyler asked.  
“My butler,” Jenna replied. “It’ll be no bother, he loves helping me out.”  
Tyler followed Jenna through the house into the living room. It had a very open layout, with plush white sofas situated around a square, unlit fire pit in the middle of the room. Large, clear windows forced in light and allowed for a view of the pool outside. To the side of the room, there was a sleek, dark grey kitchen with a breakfast counter and white worktops.  
“Josh? Josh are you there?” Jenna called into the room. “He must be elsewhere, make yourself comfortable and I’ll go look for him.”  
“Okay,” Tyler replied as Jenna strutted out of the room to look for her butler.

Tyler looked around the room aimlessly, admiring how nice it was. He began to wonder what Jenna did for work in order to afford a place like this. He noticed multiple plaques and frames on the wall. He went over to look at them. On one of the plaques was engraved,  
‘Business CEO of the Year  
Awarded to:  
Jenna Black.’  
Tyler figured she must be a pretty powerful figure in business, which would make sense for her to be able to afford a place like this. Within the frames were clippings of news articles about work Jenna must have done. Before Tyler could read them, Jenna walked back into the room, bringing with her another man.  
“Tyler, this is my Butler, Josh,” Jenna introduced. Tyler looked over to notice the young man behind her. He was tall and intriguingly handsome, with a few piercings and dark rooted hair that had been dyed blue. He wore a black sweatshirt and cargo pants much like Tyler, with a black apron wrapped around his waist.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Josh said with a smile which caused his eyes to crinkle at the sides.  
“Josh, could you fix our guest a bite to eat while I sort out a few things in my office?”  
“Certainly Miss Black, it would be my honour,” Josh bowed with a smile as she left the room.

“So, what exactly does Jenna do?” Tyler asked from his stool on the other side of the breakfast counter.  
“You mean Miss Black?” Josh corrected as he cooked Tyler a quick sausage sandwich. “She owns one of the largest tech companies in Utopia. They primarily operate within the social media field of technology, producing gadgets which enhance the experiences of social media users,” Josh seemed to rattle that entire sentence off like he had been taught it from a script.  
“Huh, sounds pretty cool,” Tyler admitted.  
“It sure is!” Josh replied with a wide smile, which seemed off-putting and unnatural to Tyler. He smiled in thanks as Josh placed the plate of sandwiches in front of him.  
“If you’ll excuse me, I must attend to some other responsibilities,” Josh said with the same fake-feeling smile, before walking out of the room to leave Tyler by himself.


	4. Ticket

Tyler took a bite from the sandwich of which tasted amazing. He spun around on his stool to face the large living room, his sandwich still in hand. Once again, he was sat eating in complete quiet. He stood from the seat in an attempt to find himself something to make a bit of noise – a TV, Audio System, anything. He stumbled across a remote control, what it was for he had no idea. He pressed what looked like the power button which caused the fire pit in the middle of the room to ignite with some small, dancing flickers of flame. Some classical sounding music also began to play from somewhere, to which Tyler was glad to no longer be hearing silence. He placed the remote down as he took another bite of his sandwich. He slumped himself on one of the sofas, watching the delicate fire in front of him. Anyone would think that after the ordeal at his apartment Tyler wouldn't be keen on seeing any more of the stuff, but he was indifferent to it.

With his sandwich finished and his plate placed in the sink, Tyler decided to take a little walk around the rest of the house. Mainly to find some company, but he also wanted to ask where he would be sleeping. He paused in the main hallway to decide where he would look first. He could either take the archway and corridor at the opposite end from him or go up the lavish stairs. He decided to stay on the ground level, for the time being, heading across the hallway to the corridor. He observed the doors that lined it, deciding which one to look in first. His ears perked up as he heard a slight scuttling from behind one of the doors further up. He went over to the door the noise seemed to be coming from, and attempted to open it. He turned the handle down, only to find it was locked. He pouted in disappointment and decided he would look upstairs next. As he made his way back down the corridor, a lock could be heard clicking from the same door, as it slowly opened.  
“Hello? Miss Black?” Josh called as he peeked around, only to notice Tyler stood at the end of the corridor. “Oh, Mr Joseph, my apologies,” Josh said, planting a smile on his face instantaneously.  
“Um, sorry for interrupting, I was just wondering-“ Tyler began, before a thought entered his head. “Wait, how do you know my last name?” he asked with a furrowed brow.  
Josh’s face twitched slightly almost in a panic. “Miss Black told me, whether you told her when you boarded the train to get here as per ticket purchasing protocol?”  
Tyler didn't want to believe him, but at the same time, he couldn't fully remember if he had told Jenna his full name. In fairness, he was almost too tired to remember most things. He decided to let this one go. For now.  
“I was wondering where I would be sleeping tonight?” Tyler asked.  
“Certainly! Miss Black has issued you with the guest room upstairs,” Josh replied, his face back to that questionable false smile. “If you’d care to follow me,” Josh locked the other door behind him before making his way down the corridor to go upstairs.

“Here you are,” Josh announced as he showed Tyler into his room. Just like the rest of the house, the guest room was airy and pretty spacious, with large windows lining the back wall.  
“Thanks,” Tyler said as he wondered in.  
“My pleasure,” Josh replied. “I imagine you must be pretty tired by now, so I’ll leave you in peace.”  
“Thanks,” Tyler said again. “Good night.”  
“Good Night, Mr Joseph,” Josh chimed as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Tyler slowly walked around the room before catching a glimpse of himself in a mirror. His hair had become scruffier than usual and his face had a sheen to it from grease. He figured a quick shower before bed wouldn't hurt. He located through the door opposite the bed an ensuite bathroom, with a similar shower system to the one in his former apartment. He undressed and made his way into the perfectly warm water.

Tyler left the bathroom with a white, fluffy towel wrapped around his waist. He sat on the end of the bed, thinking about how heavy his eyelids were beginning to feel. He picked up his discarded clothes and began to fold his sweatshirt neatly. He then picked up his trousers, checking to make sure his pockets were empty, a habit he had gotten into. One of his pockets contained his train ticket from earlier, of which he pulled out to throw it away, but caught a glimpse of the writing on the front,  
‘UTOPIA TRAIN SYSTEM  
One Ticket:  
MAIN SQUARE > XARITY OUTSKIRTS  
Cost:  
~5.70  
Passenger:  
MR TYLER ???’  
A rush of realisation ran through his head. He remembered – he hadn't told Jenna his last name, she just put his first name on the ticket when she paid for both of them. So if she couldn't have known, how the hell did Josh know? Tyler knew he was probably too tired to think straight, but he needed answers. It felt like every time he asked someone something they just glazed over the topic. Well, he had had enough. He sprang off of the bed, throwing his sweatshirt and trousers back on before marching out of the door to confront Josh. He stomped back down the corridor from earlier, a slight red mist over his eyes. He reached what he presumed was Josh’s quarters, and knocked furiously on the door.  
“Josh, I need to talk,” Tyler called, before placing a hand on the handle. By luck, the handle went down and the door swung open.  
“Tyler! What the fuck!” Josh yelled as he recoiled from whatever he was doing. Tyler’s eyes widened as he looked around the room.


	5. Plotting

Pages and pictures lined every inch of the walls. The room was slightly dark, with books and more pages of paper scattered across the floor and the bed.  
“What is all of this?” Tyler questioned.  
“None of your damn business is what!” Josh yelled as he went over to force Tyler out of the room.  
“No, actually now it is,” Tyler said sternly. “How do you know my last name?”  
“For fuck's sake, I’ve already told you!” Josh said back.  
“Bullshit,” Tyler spat. “I never told Jenna my last name, she only knows my first name, as should you,” he said, showing Josh the train ticket. Josh just stood looking at Tyler, his jaw clenching.  
“Well? What’s the truth?”  
“I don’t know, Tyler, I just know it, alright?”  
“Bullshit!” Tyler retaliated.  
“I’m telling the truth,” Josh said with a raised voice.  
Tyler could feel himself beginning to move over to Josh in an attempt to beat the truth out of him, but his eye was caught by one of the images on the wall. A long, tube-like creature with a circle of teeth was coming out of the ground.  
“Hey - that's that thing I saw earlier!” Tyler exclaimed.  
“You mean you saw it? You saw the attack?” Josh asked, his eyes bright.  
“Yeah, what is that thing?”  
Josh quickly moved past Tyler to shut the door behind him. “It’s called The Exit, it’s a myth around Utopia, with not many people claiming to have seen it,” Josh explained, his voice containing a hint of excitement. “I’ve been trying to study this thing for ages now, in an attempt to find out what it does.”  
Tyler could feel himself beginning to relax – finally, someone was answering his questions!

“So, it ate a couple who were sat on a bench?” Josh asked. He and Tyler were sat on Josh’s bed as he asked Tyler all sorts of questions about what he saw.  
“Yeah, then it just returned underground,” Tyler replied.  
“Just like the other cases,” Josh mumbled as he clambered off of the bed.  
“Other cases?” Tyler questioned.  
“Yeah,” Josh began as he stood in front of one of the walls of papers. “So far every case and known sighting of The Exit has involved it eating a madly-in-love couple, whether it be together or individually.”  
“Huh, kinda odd,” Tyler commented.  
“It is, but why would it be doing such a thing? There’s gotta be a reason for it,”  
“Oh!” Tyler exclaimed. “Then as it returned underground, the concrete just seemed to reform over it.”  
“Unsurprisingly,” Josh replied nonchalantly.  
“So, it just does that?” Tyler asked.  
“Yeah, although,” Josh began, taking one of the images off of the wall. “There has been a report of a giant hole in the nearby Yakto District which came from a previous attack.”  
“Have you been to go and see it?” Tyler asked, analysing the image.  
“No, I want to, but I’m not permitted out of the house unless it’s with Jenna or one of her guests,” Josh replied.  
“Jenna?” Tyler smirked. “What happened to ‘Miss Black’?”  
“Oh please, that whole thing is just a big act, I have to do it so as to keep my residence here and continue my research as best as I can,” Josh admitted. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. “Tyler! I just had an idea! You can take me to the Yakto District to see the hole! She’ll allow me to leave the house with you if it’s for an errand or something!” Josh exclaimed excitedly.  
“Well, that does sound more interesting than sitting around here all day,” Tyler admitted.  
“Excellent! Tomorrow whilst Jenna is working, if you say to her you need to fulfil an errand and need to bring me with you for assistance, she’ll let me leave and we can go check it out!”  
“Sounds good to me,” Tyler smirked.  
“Well, I’ll let you get some sleep for the time being. I can’t wait for tomorrow now!” Josh chuckled. Tyler laughed as he left the room.  
“And, Tyler,” Josh said as Tyler began to leave for his bedroom. “Once again, thank you,” he said with a smile. This time though, it came across as much more sincere and believable. It was almost charming to Tyler.  
“No problem,” Tyler smiled back. “Good night.”


	6. Yakto District

The plan went ahead as rehearsed. Tyler had the power of being an enigma on his side, which meant when he said he had an errand to run, Jenna didn't seem to ask a whole lot of questions. She issued Tyler with a card he could use for paying for transport and food, and said she had no need for Josh today, giving her blessing for him to leave the house. The boys walked up to the station in the middle of the walkways before Tyler started entering information for their tickets.  
“Right, Tyler Joseph, and Josh-“ Tyler looked to him for Josh to respond.  
“Dun. Josh Dun.”  
“Nice name,” Tyler replied as he tapped on the screen. He paid for the tickets and before too long they were off to the Yakto District.

“Man, this is so exciting!” Josh said with a wide smile, watching the world outside the window race past them.  
“It actually is. I’ve never seen any of this place before,” Tyler agreed.  
“You mean you’ve never explored Utopia?” Josh asked.  
“No, can't say I have.”  
“What did you use to do then?”  
“Nothing, if I’m being honest,” Tyler shrugged. “I just stayed in my apartment and let life pass me by.”  
“Wow, so much wasted opportunity,” Josh said indirectly.  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean, you’re free, Tyler. You could have gone anywhere and done anything but instead, you chose to spend your days locked away in one place. Man, I swear if that was me I’d never spend a day in the same place!” Josh fantasised.  
“Well, why don't you just quit being Jenna’s Butler then?”  
“I want to,” Josh began. “But as I said yesterday, at least I get accommodation to do my research in private, and besides, it's like every time I’ve tried to quit in the past something just won't let me get the words out. Or sometimes, it will force me to say certain words, like with your last name yesterday.”  
“I understand,” Tyler said.  
“You do?”  
“Yeah, sometimes I don’t feel like I’m in control of my life or decisions either, it’s weird but I’ve never really questioned it to be honest.”  
“If you ask me, this whole city is weird,” Josh chortled. He looked out of the window again at the passing scenery. “But kinda beautiful at the same time.”

The train pulled up to a station in the middle of the Yakto District. It was a much grungier place than the other locations, with grey buildings covered in all kinds of dirt and overgrowth. Neon lights flickered on their last breaths above them.  
“Not gonna lie, something doesn't feel right about this place,” Tyler commented as they looked around.  
“I agree,” Josh began. “But it’s still kinda cool. Come on, this way,” he said as he went ahead of Tyler down an alleyway.  
Josh had brought a map of the Yakto District with him, which was covered in various markings and scribbles.  
“What do all of those mean?” Tyler asked.  
“Well there’s no actual information about the whereabouts of the hole, but after doing a lot of research I believe I’ve calculated where it's location is.”

They rounded corner after corner, navigating and dodging dumpsters, steam vents and fallen wires. At times they had to watch their step for fear of treading in broken glass or other sharp pieces of debris. Tyler began to wonder how a city that came across as so perfect could contain a district so run-down and almost inhabitable. But he figured that with the previous signs of living in it, someone must have enjoyed it. They rounded a final corner before reaching their destination in a more open concrete space.  
“Wow, there is it!” Josh gasped. An ominous void in the ground laid in front of them. Tyler guessed it must have been at least a good fifteen feet wide, if not more. The edge of it chiselled off in a perfectly sharp angle to the ground, with the colour fading from the dark grey concrete into the pitch black depths below. The air around the hole felt chilling.  
“It’s a bit scary, isn't it?” Tyler commented, slightly worried.  
“It’s fascinating!” Josh replied, writing furiously on a notepad in an attempt to record as much about it as he could.  
“So, you think that this hole was made by this Exit thing?”  
“Not think, know,” Josh corrected. “The eyewitness of the incident reported that a couple had sneaked back here to make-out before The Exit attacked.”  
“How comes it left this hole then?” Tyler asked.  
“No idea,” Josh replied. “But the worrying thing is: this is what should be happening when it attacks. The fact that it’s tracks are always covered over as if by magic isn't normal.”  
“Maybe it’s some kind of alien?” Tyler suggested.  
“Possible,” Josh agreed. “But if it was, why did people live in this city for as long as they did, knowing an attack could have been imminent?”  
“Good point,” Tyler said, still admiring the chasm.  
“Well, the best thing for me to do for the time being is to get as much data about it as I can,” Josh chirped, walking over to further analyse the hole.

He used a number of weird gadgets to collect information, including some sort of laser device which Tyler figured must be for measuring distance. He perched himself on a bin while Josh did his own thing. Tyler couldn't help but admire how excited Josh got about this whole topic. As scary as it was, Josh seemed to almost make it cute.  
“Oi! What are you doing here?” A man's voice yelled at them. They looked across the space to notice a security guard had appeared.  
“Um, we’re just-“ Tyler hesitated as he stood from the bin out of panic. “Where did you come from?”  
“Don’t you know this area is strictly off-limits?” The man called to them as Josh ran to Tyler’s side. His voice was monotone, staying at a constant shouting level.  
“Well, then why are you here?” Josh said back sarcastically. The man’s head flicked to look to Josh, causing him to recoil a bit.  
“You’re both coming with me,” the man said sternly, before running towards them.  
“Run,” Tyler yelled as he took hold of Josh’s hand to pull him away. They sprinted back down the alleyways, being quicker to avoid their obstacles once again. They had no idea where they were going, all they knew was they needed to lose this guy.

Eventually, he no longer seemed to be behind them. Out of breath, the boys stopped, laughing and panting.  
“Oh my god that was so weird,” Tyler huffed.  
“It was,” Josh chuckled.  
“Do you even know where we are-“ Tyler asked before Josh stopped him from walking over a steam vent, grabbing his hand and pulling him away from the boiling mist. Tyler crashed into Josh from both the shock and forceful movement, meaning they were stood face to face. They looked at each other, still slightly panting.  
“Thanks," Tyler whispered as he analysed Josh’s eyes. They were a perfect amber colour, almond in shape and almost puppy-dog like.  
“Don't mention it,” Josh whispered back, his eyes looking over Tyler’s face in return. Tyler had no idea what it was, but something in the back of his mind was telling him to press his lips against Josh’s. He wanted to, despite being scared of not knowing what this feeling was.  
“We should get going,” Josh sighed as he moved to walk back down the alleyway. Tyler breathed heavily – what had just come over him? It was all-consuming, almost like a magnet was drawing him into Josh. He snapped out of his trance to follow Josh hopefully back home.


	7. Dinner

They hoped back onto the train to return to Xarity Outskirts and to Jenna’s home. Tyler’s head was still buzzing with a million questions – about the hole, about the guard, and about the sudden surge of feelings he got when stood in front of Josh. The two of them sat in quiet on the empty carriage. Josh was too busy compiling his data anyway, so at least it didn’t feel too awkward. The train pulled up to Xarity Outskirt Station and the boys departed. They journeyed across the walkways and back into Jenna’s home.  
“Do you need anything to eat or drink, Mr Joseph?” Josh asked with that same false smile as he hung his bag up by the door. He seemed to go from normal to ‘butler Josh’ in an instant, slightly unnerving Tyler.  
“What are you doing?” Tyler whispered to him.  
“Trying to keep my job,” Josh whispered back.  
“Ahh, I thought I heard voices,” Jenna chimed from the top of the stairs. “How did your errands go, Tyler?”  
“Um, all done,” Tyler hesitantly replied.  
“Excellent. And I assume Josh was of no bother?”  
“No, none at all - really helpful as a matter of fact.”  
“Good to hear,” Jenna smiled as her foot touched the ground floor. “Josh, would you mind preparing some lunch for our guest and me?”  
“Of course, Miss Black,” Josh smiled. He turned to go to the kitchen, giving Tyler a small wink as he left.  
“Oh, Tyler, I have a present for you,” Jenna chirped. She handed him a small box with a gold bow on top.  
“Um, thank you,” Tyler smirked as he began to open the gift. Inside was a new phone.  
“I figured you should probably get a new one since you lost your old one in the fire,” Jenna said.  
“Oh wow, thank you,” Tyler said graciously.  
“No problem. You’re also more than welcome to keep that card I gave to you until you get back on your feet again,”  
“I dunno what to say,” Tyler said dumbfounded.  
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything,” Jenna smiled. “If you want to repay me however, you can join me for dinner at Main Square tonight,”  
“Sure,” Tyler replied. He figured it would be good to sit down and spend some time getting to know Jenna, an interesting figure to say the least.  
“Wonderful,” Jenna beamed. “Josh can cook for us since no places have staff any more. We’ll depart at 7:30, if you can be ready by then.”  
“Of course,” Tyler agreed as he left for his room.

Tyler spent the rest of the day setting up his new phone, but it was mostly with apps and stuff relevant to his previous job since he wasn’t exactly overloaded with contacts. He tried to access his money but had no idea of any of his details since the papers were all caught in the fire. He knew if he could, however, he would surely have enough to buy a new place. He started to think about where he could live, and got the idea of letting Josh move in with him. Josh could conduct his research without interruption or it being in private, a thought which made Tyler happy. Before he knew it, it was time to make a move to Main Square with Jenna and Josh. They boarded the train from Xarity Outskirts back to Main Square. Once they arrived, Jenna lead them both to a small restaurant situated behind one of the glass walls. The place was surprisingly spacious - amplified by the lack of people, with warm lighting and dark wood furnishings. To say it was a step up from the café Tyler self-catered at the other day was an understatement. In an instant, Josh seemed to switch from ‘butler’ to ‘waiter’, offering to seat them down and asking if they’d like to order any drinks. They both told him what they’d like and he walked away to go and get them. Tyler analysed the menu sceptically – he knew Josh was a good cook, but how on earth could he know to cook some of these dishes?  
“Everything looks so good,” Jenna commented.  
“It actually does,” Tyler replied.  
Josh soon returned with their drinks, before leaving again to give them time to decide what they wanted to eat. Tyler couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt for Josh, why couldn’t he be invited to sit down and eat with them as well?  
“Well, here’s to what will hopefully be a lovely evening,” Jenna said, holding her glass aloft to toast the two of them.  
“Here’s to that,” Tyler laughed back, holding his drink up as well and clinging it with Jenna’s. The two of them took a sip from their glasses.  
“So, have you both decided what you’d like to order?” Josh piped as he made his way back over to them.  
“Yes, may I have the soup to start and the Butterflied Seabass for main, please?” Jenna asked.  
“Um, can I have the Salmon for starter and the Chicken Breast for main?” Tyler added.  
“Certainly, I’ll have them out soon,” Josh confirmed as he collected their menus and headed towards the kitchen.

“So, are you enjoying your new phone?” Jenna asked.  
“Oh, it’s really cool, thank you,” Tyler replied.  
“I’m glad to hear it,” Jenna smiled. “Now that you’re set up on it I’ll have to show you some of the products my company develops,”  
“Oh, Josh was telling me you own a company that makes technology,”  
“That’s one way to describe it,” Jenna laughed.  
“Sound’s interesting,” he smirked back.  
“We mainly focus on enhancing the experience of social media networks for our customers through wearable tech.”  
“In what ways can you enhance the experience for them?” Tyler asked.  
“Finding new friends and potential partners, emotion enhancing, real-time point-of-view broadcasting, loads of different ways,” Jenna listed. “Like for example,” she began as she roamed around in her bag on the floor. “This particular gadget can speed up the feeling of love between two people if both parties are willing,”  
“How do you do that?”  
“Well if both parties agree for the device to do its job, it can boost the production of Oxytocin in the brain to raise love emotions,” Jenna explained.  
“Why would you want to do that?” Tyler questioned.  
“Different reasons – to enhance pleasure, to speed up a relationship, or even just to save one. Sometimes the love between two people can die, even if both people don't want it to,” Jenna said taking a sip of her drink.  
“That’s fair enough then,” Tyler chuckled.  
“I can tell you’re still sceptical – why don't you try one on and see what happens?”  
“Um, okay then,” Tyler laughed. Jenna smiled wide as she left her seat to go over to him. Tyler held his wrist out so the strap device could be put around it.  
“Okay, here’s your star-“ Josh began as he came over with their starters, but accidentally spilled them over the two of them before Jenna could give Tyler his device.  
“Josh! What the hell?” Jenna screamed as she stood covered in soup. Tyler just sat there both shocked and holding back laughter.  
“I’m so sorry, Miss Black! I’ll clear this up right away,” Josh hastily apologised.  
“Don’t bother – I’m not going to sit here covered in food for the rest of the evening, let’s just go home,” Jenna stormed, before stomping away to grab her coat.  
“Are you okay?” Tyler whispered as Josh leant down to clear up some of the mess.  
“You can thank me later,” Josh whispered back, before going back to cleaning.  
Tyler looked at him confused.


	8. Poolside

Tyler lay awake that night. What did Josh mean by that? Did he drop the food on purpose? Did he know something about Jenna’s device that he didn't? Once again, Tyler had a head full of questions and no answers. Lying awake thinking about it wouldn't help though, so he figured the best thing for him to do would be to raid the kitchen for a late night snack.  
Tyler slowly opened his door and snuck through the house to get to the kitchen. The pitch dark made navigating the place difficult, but Tyler eventually got there. He crept into the Kitchen space, feeling around to find something to eat.  
“Hello?” A voice whispered from the darkness, causing Tyler to jump out of his skin. He quickly realised it was Josh.  
“Fuck, Josh! You scared me!” Tyler forcefully whispered back.  
“I’m so sorry!” Josh apologised, still quiet. “Are you okay? Can I get you anything?”  
“Um, I was just looking for a snack to help me sleep,” Tyler replied. “What are you still doing up?”  
“Just organising the kitchen a little bit,” Josh said softly.  
“At this time? Don’t you need to sleep?”  
“No, for some reason I never feel tired,” Josh replied.  
“Huh, okay then,” Tyler shrugged.  
“I was about to sit by the pool as well if you’d care to join? Might help you get to sleep?” Josh asked.  
“Sure,” Tyler replied.

The two of them sat at the edge of the illuminated pool with their feet submerged, feeling the gentle laps of the water splash against their legs. The quiet of the night and the gentle repetition of the water were incredibly calming.  
“Josh, can I ask you a question?” Tyler asked with his voice still somewhat quiet so as to not wake Jenna, despite being outside.  
“Sure,” Josh replied in the same level.  
“What did you mean earlier? That I could thank you later?”  
“Oh, that,” Josh sighed. “Listen, Tyler, I’m going to be honest with you, okay?”  
“You’re the only person to me that has been so sure,” Tyler chuckled.  
“Jenna’s a nice person and all, but I just know she’s got you here for a reason, and I believe it has something to do with The Exit,”  
“What gives you that idea?” Tyler asked.  
“I dunno, it’s strange, I can’t quite place my finger on it, but it’s like she wants to lure you in for an attack or something. I’ve seen her do it before with guys,”  
“You have?”  
“Yeah,” Josh began. “There have been about three guys that Jenna has dated and had round here, and all three of them have been eaten by The Exit,”  
“Shit,” Tyler said worriedly. “So you think she’s trying to do the same to me?”  
“Yeah, all three of those guys were wearing that device she was going to give you, so it’s possible,” Josh explained. “Just, be careful, okay?”  
“I will,” Tyler gently laughed. “Why do you care about me anyway?” He smirked.  
“Because,” Josh chortled. “You’re the only person that doesn't treat me like a slave, and the only one I don’t have to be fake around,” he admitted, before looking at Tyler. “I like you, Ty,”  
Tyler looked back at him with a smile. “I like you too, Josh.”

Tyler soon felt tired and satisfied enough to go to sleep. The next morning, he woke up and instantly realised he had nothing to do that day. He checked his new phone, but it displayed no new messages or notifications. He laid in his bed questioning how he could spend his day. Maybe he could go out to explore Utopia a bit more? He had Jenna’s finances and a method of communication should he get into any bother, so why not? He looked on his phone to see where would be interesting to visit. He scrolled on the internet through a long list of destinations but was put off by the fact that all of them talked about how they were suited for two people. He thought he could maybe bring Josh along with him again. He should maybe invite Jenna on an outing some time as thanks for taking him in as well, but after what Josh told him last night, Tyler thought it best to avoid being alone with her. He figured he would get dressed and ask Josh if he wanted to go and explore another district with him.

“Good morning,” Jenna said from the sofa as Tyler walked into the living room. Her legs were crossed to hold up her newspaper.  
“Morning,” Tyler said back as he noticed Josh stood in the kitchen.  
“Morning, Josh,” Tyler said to him.  
“Good morning, Mr Joseph,” Josh replied with that smile. “Can I get you anything?”  
“Just a glass of orange juice will do,” Tyler requested as he sat at the breakfast counter. Josh placed a glass in front of him and began to pour out the drink.  
“What are you up to today?” Tyler whispered to Josh.  
“Everything – Jenna’s punishing me for last night,” Josh whispered back.  
“Shit,” Tyler quietly seethed.  
“So, what are you up to today, Tyler?” Jenna asked from across the room.  
“Um, I was planning on taking a trip to one of the districts,” Tyler replied.  
“Oh how lovely, which one?” Jenna asked.  
“I’m not sure,” Tyler admitted.  
“May I suggest the Orelion District? They have a really interesting exhibit on at the moment called ‘In Another World’ which apparently has images from another universe,”  
“Sounds interesting,” Tyler replied.  
“I’ve been meaning to visit it myself actually if you wouldn’t mind me coming along?”  
Tyler paused for thought – Jenna coming along would mean the two of them would be alone together far away from home, and without Josh to intervene this time, what if she tried something to get him attacked? But at the same time, she was nice enough to welcome Tyler into her home and give him a new phone and finances; it would be incredibly rude for Tyler to refuse her request.  
“Sure, why not?” Tyler could feel Josh’s eyes burning into the back of his head as the words left his mouth.  
“Lovely, we should make a move soon before it gets too late.”


	9. Orelion District

After boarding the train, Tyler and Jenna soon arrived at one of the stations in the Orelion District just outside of the museum they would be visiting. They made their way inside and navigated the grand building to their desired exhibition. Tyler stood at the entrance of the small room feeling overpowered. There was something about it that gave him a sense of déjà vu.  
“Look at this one,” Jenna called to him, snapping him out of his brief trance. He walked over to stand beside Jenna in front of a framed image. His eyes opened wide at the contents of the picture. A desolate, apocalyptic wasteland covered in sand was featured. There were some signs of life, made out by the shapes of collapsed buildings protruding from the yellow ground. The sky was grey with a slight orange tint, almost as if it had previously been on fire.  
“What is it?” Tyler lightly panted. He hadn't realised how heavy his breathing had become from looking at the image.  
“Apparently, it's an image from another world,” Jenna replied.  
“What happened to it?” He croaked.  
“Some sort of attack I imagine,” Jenna said, now noticing how emotional Tyler had become. “Are you okay?”  
“I don't know,” Tyler mumbled as he stood frozen. “I- I feel like I know this place.”  
“Are you sure?” Jenna asked. “This is a purely fictional image, there's no way you could remember it.”  
“I swear,” Tyler gently insisted. “It’s like there's this ringing going off in the grey area of my memories, something about this scenario.”  
Jenna looked at him confused. She found what Tyler was saying to be incredibly weird, but at the same time, he did have some missing memories. She figured it would be best to move on from the image to look at another.

They made their way around the entire exhibition, looking intently at every image. They contrasted from apocalyptic scenes to thriving cities. With each one, Tyler still felt a pang of something in his gut – was it sadness? Fear? Anger? He wasn't sure, but what was certain was he had a stronger reaction to it all than Jenna. They stood in front of a final image. Water stretched for the length of the image. In the distance on the horizon, smoke billowed into a pastel sky.  
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Jenna commented.  
“It is,” Tyler replied. He didn't feel as much of a connection to this image, but something was still there.  
“Almost makes you grateful to be alive, doesn't it?” Jenna said. At this point, it almost felt like she was just trying to fill dead air. Tyler didn't know how to respond. He was too interested in the image as he had been with the others. A hand touched his own, and suddenly Jenna’s lips were planted on his. The shock of what she was doing took him completely by surprise, forcing him to react instinctively by pushing her away.  
“What the fuck?” He yelled at her.  
“Come on Tyler, I know we have this special connection, don't deny it,” Jenna replied, a loving look in her eyes.  
“No,” Tyler replied instantaneously before he knew he had said it.  
“Excuse me?” Jenna retorted.  
“N-no,” Tyler hesitated despite the shot of adrenaline now running through him. “I don’t have any feelings for you, Jenna. I don't know why you think I would, but I don’t.”  
“Well, that’s bullshit. Everyone in this damn place gets paired off with someone else, it’s quite obvious you’re meant to be mine,” Jenna replied.  
“What does that even mean?” Tyler snapped.  
“It means we’re meant to be together, Tyler. You’re mine.” Her face was straight laced and serious.  
“No,” he said sternly. “Josh warned me you would do something like this – are you trying to get me attacked?”  
“Hang on – what did Josh say to you?” Jenna asked forcefully. Tyler felt his stomach turn as he realised he may have just landed Josh in hot water.  
“It doesn't matter,” Tyler backtracked. “Let's just go home.”

The train back was quiet and awkward. Tyler even went off to the train’s toilet occasionally just to escape the cold air between them. He was now viewing Jenna in a completely different light. He had questioned why she was so nice to him, now he realises it’s because she was trying to cause something between them. But why him? If she really did want to hook up with someone why didn't she just get with Josh? He’s a handsome guy – great arms, amazing smile, just an all round hottie. Tyler was alerted by his own thoughts, why was he suddenly thinking this of Josh? Surely he shouldn't be having these kinds of thoughts or feelings for him – right? He shrugged them off as a one-time thing and went back to mindlessly staring out of the train's window as the air between he and Jenna grew colder.

After what felt like a week long train journey, they soon arrived back at Jenna’s house. Tyler’s mind began to race regarding solutions should she decide to kick him out after his reaction earlier. He just knew his days at her home were numbered. There was only one person he knew he could talk to if he could catch him off duty. After Jenna marched through the house to her room, Tyler walked to Josh’s door and lightly knocked on it hoping he would be taking a break in it. He was greeted with no answer. He walked back out of the corridor and into the living room to spot Josh through the window tending to the garden around the pool without a shirt on. He made his way outside.  
“Hey,” Tyler said. His voice had a slight croak to it despite trying to make himself sound like nothing was wrong.  
“Oh, Mr Joseph!” Josh chimed back with that smile. “Did you have a good outing with Miss Black?”  
“Josh, she’s not around,” Tyler quietly interrupted. “I need to talk to you,”  
“Sure, what's up?” Josh asked, instantly snapping out of his Butler mode.  
“Um,” Tyler hesitated, unsure of what words he wanted to use. “Something happened when we were out,”  
“Okay,” Josh answered as Tyler thought about what he wanted to say.  
“Jenna tried to make a move on me, and she kept saying that ‘I’m hers’ and ‘we’re meant to be together’,”  
“Fuck, I knew it,” Josh groaned as he stepped away from the hedge he was working on. “I told you to be careful around her!”  
“I was!” Tyler replied. “I thought I kept my distance, but I must have been so distracted by my own emotions to these images they had that I let my guard down,”  
“And how did you react?” Josh asked. His eyes burrowed into Tyler, almost praying for a certain outcome.  
“I- I pushed her away,” Tyler recalled softly. Josh appeared to relax deeply upon his answer as if it was what he wanted to hear. “I- I might have said some other things as well,”  
“Like what?” Josh asked cautiously.  
“Um,” Tyler didn't know if he had the guts to tell him that he may have landed Josh in trouble as well. “I said I had no feelings for her at all, and that, um,”  
“Tyler, what is it? You can tell me,”  
“I said that-“ Tyler started, but was interrupted by a loud tapping from the window above them. They both looked up to notice Jenna signalling for Josh to come upstairs, a thunderous look planted across her face.  
Josh felt his stomach twist. “Tyler, just what else did you say to her?”


	10. First Contact

Josh seemed to be upstairs for ages. Tyler sat in the living room in quiet trying to make out anything being said. When he told Josh about accidentally telling Jenna of Josh’s warning, his face appeared to twist slightly before marching away into the house without another word. Tyler felt terrible. He just wanted to cry. He never asked for any of this – he was perfectly happy in his apartment going about his daily life. He never asked for the fire. He never asked to see The Exit. He never asked to be taken in by Jenna. He never asked for any trouble. And now the only person he was glad to have met might just have abandoned him as well. He figured at this point being attacked by The Exit might not be the worst thing to happen to him. His thoughts got interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Tyler sprang up from the sofa to catch a glimpse of Josh marching into his room and slamming the door behind him. Tyler’s heart sank deeply. What has he caused?

He knocked on the door lightly, afraid that Josh really was angry with him.  
“Josh- are you ok?” Tyler asked softly.  
“Fuck off, Tyler,” he replied. Tyler’s fears were true. He slid his back against the door to sit on the ground, the feeling of defeat weighing him down further.  
“I guess you got in trouble then?” Tyler mumbled.  
“Yeah – thanks for that,” Josh snapped back through the door.  
“Josh, I’m so sorry,” Tyler croaked.  
“Just leave me alone, ok?”  
Tyler started to make a move away from the door, but something clicked in his mind.  
“No,” he answered back. “I get that you’re angry with me and you have every right to be, but you’re the only person I can even turn to or consider a friend and I refuse to let that be ruined. I- I want to fight for this,” he couldn't believe what he was saying, but it was from the heart. He stood up as soon as he could hear the door being unlocked. It soon clicked open to reveal Josh stood the other side with his eyes red, wet and puffy. A fresh bruise was painted on his left cheek. The man looked broken.  
“What- did she do that to you?” Tyler flustered.  
“Yes,” Josh mumbled. “I admitted to warning you about what she could be like, and she punched me.”  
“Fuck,” Tyler whispered with a face of sorrow. Seeing Josh broken made Tyler feel broken also.  
“I’m so mad at you,” Josh spat. “But, you’re also the only person I can call a friend, and, I could do with one right now,” Josh admitted solemnly before collapsing on the floor in floods of tears. Tyler enveloped him in a hug, shushing away Josh’s sobs.

“You’re going to be alright, Josh,” Tyler said softly, but even he wasn't convinced by himself.  
Josh looked up to reveal his damaged complexion. “I just want to leave all of this so badly,”  
“Then let's,” Tyler replied.  
“What?” Josh asked, seemingly shocked.  
“Let's leave together. If I can access my money I would have enough for a new place, and you’d be more than welcome to live there as well and never have to butler again.”  
“Do you mean it?”  
“Of course,” Tyler replied. “I- I only want to see you happy, Josh.”  
Josh didn't know how to reply. “But why?”  
“I- I don't know,” Tyler admitted, helping Josh up to his feet.  
“I think I do,” Josh sighed as he looked deeply at Tyler while his arms were fixed on him still. He closed his eyes and leant forward, lightly placing his lips on Tyler’s. Tyler was once again taken by surprise, but this time, he didn't fight it. Something in him didn't want to fight it, but rather the opposite. This time, it felt amazing. As he graced his lips over Josh’s in return, the world around them seemed to freeze in slow motion as his mind erupted with colours. He moved in closer to Josh to press his lips on him further. He nearly melted as Josh’s fingers lightly brushed over his back. Both of them were left breathless as their lips slowly parted.  
“I really like you, Tyler,” Josh admitted, his eyes melting into Tyler’s.  
“I really like you too,” Tyler lightly laughed.


	11. Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a warning: This chapter is pretttyyy sexually explicit. It doesn't have too much to do with the continuation of the story (the first para maybe) so if you don't wanna read smut then skip to the next chapter otherwise if you're an unashamed smut fan like me, enjoy! :D

“So, where are we going to move to?” Josh asked while his head was placed on Tyler’s chest as they both lay on the bed in the guest room.  
“No idea,” Tyler replied. He ever so lightly brushed his hand over the bruise on Josh’s cheek in the hopes that the area would feel some kind of pleasure rather than pain. Josh seemed to at first wince but then melt into the motions of Tyler’s caresses. Since they were the last people Jenna wanted to talk to, they used the opportunity to hide away from the world on Tyler’s temporary bed.  
“Do you think we should tell Jenna about us?” Tyler mumbled. Josh breathed deeply.  
“No,” he said. “Not right now; in fact, I don’t think we should say anything until this whole situation blows over. If we reveal this to her while she’s this angry, who knows what she might do to us?”  
“Good point,” Tyler solemnly agreed.  
“For now, let’s use this time away from under her watch to plan where we’re going and, you know,” Josh shifted his head to look at Tyler. “Be together.”  
Tyler smirked at Josh’s comment, not helped by the glint radiating from his mischievous puppy dog eyes. “Oh yeah, well what kind of being together did you have in mind?”  
Josh slowly picked himself off of Tyler and carefully straddled him, his groin forcing Tyler’s hips into the bed.  
“I think you and I both know,” Josh whispered once his lips were tantalisingly close to Tyler’s ear. Tyler shivered before he felt the gentle touch of Josh’s lips against his neck. He couldn’t help but hitch his breath as Josh worked his way towards the sweet spot on Tyler’s neck that made him quietly moan without warning. Tyler covered his mouth when he realised the noise he had made. Josh couldn’t help but smirk. He looked into Tyler’s deep brown eyes and lightly stroked his cheek before docking their lips together. Before each of them knew it, they were caught in a flurry of hands exploring each other’s bodies, limbs entangling together and the world around them disappearing. Tyler ran his hand up Josh’s sweatshirt, feeling the chiselled, sweat-damp body underneath. Josh took this as a cue and whipped the top over his head and onto the floor. Tyler practically drooled when he got to see Josh’s perfect torso up close. It was as if every freckle and skin mark was carefully drawn on him by the greatest artist. Tyler just wanted to admire his boy’s spectacular physique but thought it best to return the favour. He quickly slipped his own sweatshirt off to reveal his own body. Josh’s heart rate raced upon the sight of Tyler’s body beneath his own. Tyler’s frame was slimmer than his, but Josh still loved the subtle definition Tyler had. He couldn’t help but place his lips on Tyler’s shoulder and work his way down his body until he reached the faint trail of hair on Tyler’s stomach. He lightly placed his fingers at the top of Tyler’s trousers before looking at him with wide eyes.

“May I?” Josh asked.  
“Please,” Tyler breathed. Josh smirked as he carefully worked the fastenings on Tyler’s cargo trousers and slipped them off of his legs to reveal the erection held down by his boxers. Josh teasingly ran his hand over the length of Tyler’s member from over the fabric, before slipping his hand beneath the leg hole and grabbing hold of the flesh. Tyler lightly gasped at the warm hand wrapped around his penis. Josh stroked the shaft a bit before slipping the boxers off entirely to reveal Tyler’s cock in all of its glory. He playfully slid his hand up and down Tyler’s dick, then leant over and enveloped the meat with his mouth. The warmth from the inside of Josh’s mouth erupted sensations of pure ecstasy in Tyler’s mind. Josh worked his mouth along the entire length of Tyler’s cock, occasionally teasing and licking the head and under the foreskin. Tyler couldn’t talk. He just wanted what Josh was doing to go on forever. He got so caught up in his pleasure that he hadn’t realised how fast his breathing had become. He quickly tapped Josh’s head, causing him to look up.  
“Sorry,” Tyler panted. “Don’t wanna cum yet.”  
Josh smirked before being thrown off of Tyler and pinned onto the bed. Tyler looked down into Josh’s eyes with nothing but a mixture of lust and infatuation. He located the rock-solid bulge in Josh’s trousers with his groin, then teasingly rubbed his taint over the mound. Tyler bit his lip as his still hard cock slid across Josh’s stomach as he moved. Josh’s eyes closed out of pleasure, his breathing becoming heavier.  
“I want to be inside you,” Josh let escape, and then opened his eyes to catch Tyler’s reaction. Tyler smiled as he playfully bit his lower lip, and then moved his hands off of Josh’s wrists in order to undo his trousers. He rotated across Josh’s body to face his legs and help undress him. As Tyler began to slide Josh’s boxers off of his legs, he lightly gasped as he felt a wet finger circle his exposed anus. He moaned as the finger slowly made its way inside of him, feeling out the warm crevices of his rectum. With cock now exposed and fully standing, Tyler placed both of his hands on Josh’s stiff shaft and worked them along it while Josh used his fingers to relax and lube up Tyler’s hole with salvia. Once Tyler felt ready, he once more rotated across Josh’s torso and lined himself up.

He carefully slid back, using one hand to direct Josh’s cock into him. The tip teased his anus once they made contact, and before they knew it, Josh’s dick was inside of Tyler. Tyler was inaudible as he worked more of Josh into him. Once the whole of Josh’s member was inside of him, Tyler slowly built up speed and rocked his hips onto Josh. Josh began to thrust his hips up in time with Tyler’s movement, causing both of them to moan with pure pleasure.  
“Oh my god,” Tyler muttered as the head of Josh’s cock began to run across his prostate. Tyler worked Josh’s dick, even more, wanting to keep experiencing the insatiable pounding against his sweet spot. Both boys worked in time with each other’s movements, getting lost in the bliss of their actions. Both boys began to breathe heavily as their bodies dripped with sweat. Tyler’s moans became louder until suddenly he was spurting hot, sticky jizz across Josh’s body.  
“Oh god,” Josh said enjoyably startled, causing him to shoot his own load in Tyler.  
They both panted as Josh slid his cock out of Tyler, flicking cum across the sheets as it escaped. Tyler collapsed face first onto the bed next to Josh, warm seed still dribbling from his hole.  
Josh supported himself on his elbow as he lightly ran his fingers over the smalls of Tyler’s back.  
Tyler looked at him with sleepy eyes. “Please be with me forever.”  
Josh flopped onto the bed and wrapped Tyler in a warm embrace.  
“Of course,” Josh said softly.


	12. Confessions

Two days had passed. Jenna remained angry at both Josh and Tyler but still found it within herself to order Josh around to do her housework. While Josh worked, Tyler secretly undertook research for his and Josh’s plan to move into a new home together. The first step was to access his bank account again. After a number of phone calls to the bank, he was finally able to regain his finances. He was overjoyed with just how much was available to him. Being a loner and doing nothing but work for all those years literally paid off for him. Once his budget had been pocketed, he searched for a new place for he and Josh. For a world which was vastly lacking in human life, the number of available properties was scarce. Tyler was able to come across a beautiful looking two-bedroom apartment just outside of Main Square. After showing pictures of the property to Josh, they decided to put in an offer for it. Now all they could do was wait.

“Can we please think about repainting it? I’m getting so sick of the colour white,” Josh asked. He was on a break from his duties meaning he could cuddle in secret on his bed with Tyler. They perched their heads together as they held hands, their fingers playfully fiddling with each other.  
“Sure babe, but unfortunately it seems like white is the only paint colour available in Utopia,” Tyler replied, to which Josh laughed. Their attention was directed towards Tyler’s phone which started to buzz. He leant across Josh to pick it up from the nightstand.  
“Hello?” Tyler greeted. Josh looked on as a voice down the other line spoke to him. “Oh my god that’s fantastic news!” Tyler suddenly cheered. Josh mouthed ‘what?’ to him but Tyler didn’t respond. “Ok, we’ll see you tomorrow, bye,” Tyler said as he hung up. He let out a small, joyous squeal.  
“Ty, what is it?” Josh asked.  
“We got it – we got the apartment!” Tyler cheered.  
“Oh my god!” Josh cheered also, to which they victoriously embraced each other.  
“I can’t believe we’re going to have our own place!” Tyler said gleefully.  
“Me too – I can’t wait to move in!”  
“Well, we don’t have long to wait,” Tyler said. “The real estate agent said we can move in tomorrow!”  
“Tomorrow?!” Josh said surprised. “But, we’re not even packed!”  
“Well, better get a move on then!” Tyler ordered as he scrambled off of the bed.  
“Wait,” Josh said, grabbing Tyler’s wrist. “We have to tell Jenna,”  
“Oh god, you’re right,” Tyler sighed.  
“Let’s just do it now, together,” Josh said bravely. “If we’re together, there’s no way she can harm us.”

The boys walked through the house in an attempt to find Jenna. They eventually found her on a sun lounger next to the pool. She was decked out in a bikini and sunglasses, soaking in a few rays of sunlight.  
“Um, Miss Black,” Josh said in his butler's voice.  
“Yes, Josh,” Jenna replied, barely moving from under her shades.  
“There’s something we need to tell you,” Josh started. “This may be a bit sudden to you but,” he found it difficult to continue.  
“Josh and I are moving into a new apartment. Together. Just outside of Main Square. The move takes place tomorrow.” Tyler intervened. “We just came to tell you.”  
Jenna smirked. “You think I didn’t know already?”  
“Huh?” Both boys questioned.  
“Do you really think I haven’t been keeping a close eye on you two – or rather, a close ear?” She continued as she slowly got off from her lounger. “I know about everything you two have gotten up to, from researching The Exit to going behind my back and calling me a psychopathic nympho, even down to you two becoming bum buddies. Well, it ends here.”  
Both boys looked at her with shock. “We’re sorry, Jenna, but it’s something we both want to do,” Tyler reasoned.  
“Oh, well isn’t that sweet, loner Tyler has fallen for the butler and now they’re off to live happily ever after and chase weird creatures together. Well, I’m sorry boys but I can’t let that happen.” Jenna pulled out a gun from the back of her bikini bottoms and was now pointing it at them. Both boys carefully displayed their palms.  
“Jenna, what are you doing?” Tyler asked nervously.  
“Isn’t it clear? I’m making you stay with me. You can fuck my butler all you want Tyler, but at the end of the day it’s me you’ll end up with.”  
“Are you actually out of your mind?!” Tyler retaliated. “Jenna, how many more times do I have to say it – you and I will never be together. I don’t care if you point a whole arsenal of weapons at me, I will still never have feelings for you,”  
“Silence!” Jenna yelled the gun in her hand shaking.  
“Let’s everybody stay calm,” Josh said as calmly as he could in the situation.  
“You can stay out of it too, Dun. Some fucking butler you are, what, tending to my needs wasn’t enough so you had to go and fuck the house guests as well?”  
“Jenna, it isn’t like that,” Josh replied. “If you can just give me the gun and allow us to talk about it sensibly,”  
Josh reasoned before he made a reach for the gun. Jenna pulled it back, causing Josh to attempt to wrestle it off of her. It seemed Josh could easily overpower her, but Jenna was surprisingly quick with her movements.  
“Enough of this!” Jenna screamed.

Bang.  
The sound of the gun echoed around the garden.  
Almost instantly, Josh stopped in his tracks.  
Slowly, he fell to the ground.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! More to come! :)  
> This one was inspired by a dream I had once (i see some weird shit man!) and wanna develop it into an original novel but am too lazy atm to create OCs so I'm just using Joshler for the time being because they my smol bean cinnamon rolls lol <3


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